AstraZeneca PLC Heart Drug Wins Approval in China

AstraZeneca has won approval for its new heart drug Brilinta in China, an increasingly important market for the British pharmaceuticals group. China's State Food and Drug Administration has issued an drug import license for the product, meaning it will now be available for treating patients with acute coronary syndrome in the country, the company said on Thursday. Brilinta has proved better than the cheaper generic medicine clopidogrel in preventing the recurrence of heart attacks, but its sales to date in markets around the world have been disappointing.